It´s really intressting to see how americans think about us.
Unfortunaly we did not have that much luck with our politician in the past and our educationsystem isn´t that good. But amererican are the last one who can condemn a country for a bad education.The most people in USA only speaks one language and your schools are really easy.
The power of your economy remains partly in steeling raw material from other countreys. You only ambition are making movies about how great america is... and destroying the environment while saying there is no such a thing like global warming. Using a secret service which doesn´t respect the authority of any countrey in the world.
How much do you guys know about the world? If your news only shows a one minute shortcut about the events in the world...
Everywhere you go you act like you are superior ......
fix your own problems before you start to critize ours.

I argument that the problem of Argentina is the routine the argentinians live and their perception of their own society .
Over here people tell you be care full to look after your possessions if not they will fraud you and steal from you , that its normal to pay coima (bribes )to get things done around here . Instead of teaching people not to steal fraud and bribe .Their is no trust in the society , i mean politicians, public administrators social figures alike get away with murder and what else more . The perception over here is earn your money today because tomorrow anything can happen . We don't have a horizon .
Therefore I argument that many incentives politicians take are pointless because it will not find a lot of support by a broad front o voters , and the real problem the government should tackle is a reform of their juridical system so justice can be served , and a reform in teaching students in what is the right thing to do . Change that routine and Argentina in the future can be a global player and leader .
What do you think ?

It is very sad that most of the things you mention as "common" characteristics of the Argentine society are real. I say "common", because we all know a number of personalities who do not deserve to be included into that self-destroying culture.

Regrettable is also that many of those sane people do not have such high weight in social environments that may be very influential on the general behaviour of the society, namely, politics, business, unions, etc.

I am aware that cultural changes can only happen on the long term, but people have to live in the present time. I have witnessed along many years the obsessive-compulsive disorder of our society related to the "king dollar". One can attribute very easily the behaviour to the historical fiscal instability, change of currency denominations, shock policies that changed the rules of the game overnight, but it's not as easy when you see other countries in Latin America that suffered similar problems (debt defaults, etc.) and in no way do they disregard their own currency.
Psychologists material?

It is a long proces but on the short term i think results can be achieved . I think improving common respect trust dignity in our society would make a great difference . And it is not only our social figures who could improve but also ourselves the common man , how much of us have not experienced fraud by social leaders as well as maby a taxidriver or the groceryman trying to earn a quick peso of you,or the kiosco who gives you change in caramelos in stead of real money or the real estate developer who does not want to pay tax , or maby the puteadas you recieve when in trafic it is in all layers of our society . I think chance that , it will help us to spent wisely the common funds and resources we have are disposal , and improve the quality of us all.

In the short term our leaders can lead by giving good example , instead of always being related to something suspicious , look at Dilma Rousseff of brazil has fired a handfull corupt politicians with out thinking twice . And as for you and I julio we can greet and repect each other warmly as fellow argentinians

Here in Argentina the people are every worse day. The politicians become richer and the poorest people. Misery, unemployment, inflation, famine, families without roof, without water, without work, children living in the street. Please enter INFOLUCHA.COM.AR section IMAGES and VIDEOS. Very hard but REAL and CURRENT

And this is exactly why Argentina has colonial ambitions on the Falklands, and the resources of its people. It is also one of the reasons that the peoples of the Falklands want to keep their status quo, as a protectorate of Great Britain, with their own government, flag and identity.

Argentina is back in the cesspit, it should look into its own problems and forget its colonial ambitions.

Something for nothing - that seems to be what the Argentines want. If you don't pay your taxes (or repay your debts) since the end of the War, like the Greeks, but still want your social services, it amounts to the same thing. How long will it take for people to realize that you always have to pay the piper at the end of the day?

The Greeks are now in the uncomfortable position of having to "repay" everything they didn't pay for the last 50 years, all in about 4 years' time. This is clearly impossible. But if they don't want to starve or lose access to all the world's pharmaceuticals, they will have to either accept that verdict or lose sovereignty over their own nation. Why should Mrs Merkel put her hand in the pocket of every German taxpayer to bail Athens out without that proviso?

In the end, the Greeks (and probably the Argies who haven't learned a thing about not supporting losers since about 1919) will have to face the end of their sovereignty and accept proconsuls moving in from Northern Europe to manage them. Hard medicine indeed, but it is a dilemma every childish population eventually has to face.

I agree with your statement. However, the tax revenues are not returned to the contributors as services (justice, education, security, health). Most of the government revenues seem to be focused on political purchases with the sole purpose of remaining in power. This is a longstanding vicious circle that needs to be broken.
Unfortunately this is the way the argentine society functions.

Absolutely correct! Democracy seems to sow the seeds of its own destruction, i.e., the purchasing of vote-banks by people who want to stay in power. The "people" seem to happily along with it, inasmuch as their foresight ends at the tips of their noses. I wish you could convince me otherwise!! I ptay for you to convince me otherwise! I am open to an attitude improvement. Until then, the path of history seems to repeat itself endlessly. We become bloated carcasses and then explode. Then we all start again.

I am not that well versed, however it seems to me that argentina is not a very good example of a functioning democracy, whatever it is, it is an authoritarian and self-destructive society. I hope we could one day become a truly democratic society.
One very telling fact is that I do not see the concept of "common good" being used, practiced, or mentioned in any discourse or in the printed media.
We fall into a crisis every decade with a clockwork precision, no matter what political ideology or what type of government is in place.
Have we been cursed by the gods? or is this just the way the argentine society functions?

I regret to advise that your problem is not limited to Argentina. Sociologically speaking, I believe that there are tacit and not-so-tacit agreements between the politicians in a country (i.e., the legalized criminals and redistributors of wealth) and the vast majority of people who instinctively want more than they are able and/or willing to pay for. This means that there are only two choices for the way a society works:

1. Either the politicians endlessly redistribute wealth from those who make it to those who don't make enough of it to suit their lifestyles. This results in the destruction of the middle class.

or

2. The politicians (and the people) borrow the money (preferably from outside), but with no intention of ever paying it back. The same result can be had by simply depreciating the currency through the printing presses.

These are well-worn paths to political power. It allows the politicians (i.e. legalized criminals) to continue to get paid and to skim off their 10% from public works contracts (we should be so lucky if it is only 10%!!).

One day, when it all comes to an end, the politicians pack their bags of gold, hop on a plane, and show up on the Riviera or in Zurich. I am sure you would agree that this, in the main, is the actual pattern of history.

CEPAL only supplies last year's figures. However, by saying that the economy continues growing at a rate of 8 or 9%, you are stating that such a thing is happening at this very moment, while, according to official statistics, the first quarter of the year there was a growth of 4,8%

Hi spectacularj1, if you r planning to travel to argentina I'll suggest you to buy pesos in your own country, I live in uruguay next to argentina and i got 5.4 pesos while in argentina the bid is around 4.35.

You will be able to pay with dollar mostly anywhere in argentina, only the small sums will require pesos. Remember to save all your receipts so you can convert your remaining pesos on your way out - you will be able to exchange your pesos to dollars at the airport only if you show your expenses.

I'm an Australian living in Buenos Aires Province with my Argentian wife. I'll make some comments as an outsider with no political leaning. Argentine people deserve better, they are lovely people that have always made me feel welcome.(1) Start using the Peso for things like houses, cars.(2) The living costs are expensive if you are the average hard working Argentine.(3) Being able to Rent a property is tough and is, mainly, based on if a family member or friend owns a house. If you don't have this option good luck is all I will say after personal experience.(4) Owning a property is only for the well to do, just look at the home loan interest rates and living costs, then go back to point 3.(5) No body likes paying taxes, the tax evasion here is like nothing I've seen. Every second business will do 'negra'. One of the problems in Greece is Greeks also don't like to pay there taxes.(6) I don't see much in the way of the possibility of 'wealth creation'. There is huge distrust of the banking system and governments, people should be able to buy a home to raise there family and if they want, use that as a security for investments.
Stay safe, get the guns off the street.

The Kirchner Administration, once more, has proven that it is not up to the task of conducting our country's destiny. This economic and political chaos has not happened overnight. Economic mismanagament coupled with uncontrolled public spending has produced a de-facto devaluation of our currency which government officials have set out to deny at all costs, just as they do with the rate of inflation. This untennable situation must end, as must this corrupt goverment.

Nope, unfortunately we don't have armed forces anymore, so a military coup is not plausible. Nor is there anyone with the balls it takes to make it happen. I suggest a wait-and-see strategy instead. This government is doomed to failure, as evidence suggests, and hopefully it will collapse under its own weight. It's a matter of time. So, relax, sit back, open your best bottle of champagne, and enjoy the show.

In my Argentina the people live through every worse day, the politicians are richer and richer and the citizens poorest and poorest. Please enter in WWW.INFOLUCHA.COM.AR section IMAGENES and VIDEOS, there is the reality of million persons today in Argentina¡¡¡

Maybe so, but I think I trust more in the state of the US economy than I trust in the state of the Argentinian economy.

In addition, regarding your "edition", I dont beleive that that first link shows a photo of Detroit - simply because the skyline doesn't match (you can't see the tallest building in the city - the GM building) and furthermore, that photo seems to shows a pretty tropical looking place and Detroit is in the northern US - not the most tropical of places...

I'm trying to find out the name of the author of this article, I don't know if this is to be found in the print edition, but it´s nowever to be found here, if anybody can provide with this info will be greatly appreciated.

The Economist article are not signed, only editorials are. This means that the newspaper stands collectively behind each and every article and will not attempt to offload the blame of poor reporting on some scape-goat.
It also prevents people from making personnal attacks on the journalist when they are at a loss for arguments.

It is interesting to see the chief of staff (Mr. Fernandez) and the presidenta's son (Maximo Kirchner) openly and shamelessly buying "official" dollars when no one else can. The rules they established do not apply to them. Unfortunately this is the way this country (i.e. this society) functions...

"The curbs have succeeded in cutting capital flight, from $8.4 billion in the third quarter of last year to just $1.6 billion in the first quarter of this year" - regardless of the discussion as to whether forcing Argentines to disclose certain information, it's hard to say this policy isn't working amazingly well!

I'm not aligned with a political party, I agree with Patrick Downes, this policy is surely working and I agree with you guest-iswsnew, the cost is people's freedom, though I am guessing most of this capital is related to tax evasion.

Dear Mr Expressu,
We are the importers of The Economist in Argentina, and we invoice all subscriptions at the official exchange rate set by the Banco Nacion at the day of payment. Please try to be accurate when commenting.

Thank you for the explanation. We now understand that the phrase "dolar libre" on your renewal notices actually means "dolar oficial" and that you will now be charging and invoicing at the official exchange rate.

Mr Expressu, I am sorry for any misunderstanding. We have always been using the official Banco Nacion exchange rate. In the future we will eliminate the phrase "dolar libre" as I agree it can be confusing. Thank you for pointing it out.

The main problem in Argentina is the lack of a program to attack the high inflation. On the last 4 years the wages recovered its purchasing power leading to the lack of main surplus. Another point are the subsides for electrical energy and public transport and other sectors because are affecting the wealth of the economy due the distortion of prices and its high cost. If all this is not corrected the devaluation of the currency is the only way but the main problem comparing former 2001 devaluation is the production activity capacity that is at 100% and in this scenario an increase of the dollar price will lead to more inflation... on 2001 the activity level was so low that the prices after devaluation remains the same. My apologies about my weak english, I need to improve it.

No theory, just history: Argentina suffered major crisis in
1820 (dissolution of national government, only 4 years after independence),
1833 (Rosas gets to power),
1852 (Urquiza defeats Rosas in the battle of Caseros),
1861 (Mitre defeats Derqui in the battle of Pavon),
1880 (Revolucion del 80 - 18 years without crisis!),
1893,
1905 (two aborted revolutions),
1930 (Uriburu kicks Yrigoyen out of the presidency),
1943 (Peron gets to power),
1955 (Peron is kicked out of power),
1962,
1966 (President Iillya is overturned by Ongania),
1976 (Isable Peron is kicked out),
1983 (crisis triggers the return of democracy - arguably this was not a crisis year),
1989 (Presiden Alfonsin transfers power to Monem 6 months before the end of his mandate following months of hyperinflation and riots), and finally,
2001, the biggest sovereign default in history.

Granted, the average is not exactly 10-12 years, but that is mostly because of the period between 1905 and 1930. If you eliminate this outlier, then you'll get to a bleak picture.

To be clear, I am not saying there is a deterministic element. Countries (or people) will not necessarily repeat their errors of the past, and as a general rule past performance is not a good predictor. Also quality is more important than quantity: China's 40 or so years under Mao were worse than all of Argentina's crisis put together. And for all of Argentina's crisis, it managed to be in the world's top 10 for some years, and dodged the two world wars.

On the other hand, thanks to our current government, we are getting straight into another crisis, and this one could take the country to a new low. And the worst part of it is that this one (unlike at least the two previous ones) could have been avoidable if only the two K's had been just a little less stupidly ideological and a bit more pragmatic and open minded.

The extend to which the Kirchner government is robbing this country is mind blowing. New taxes are imposed on a daily basis. Capital can not leave the country freely (unless it is linked to the Kirchner fortune). Votes are manipulated by immigration policies and unsustainable welfare programs. The eldest son, Maximo, is groomed to be the next leader of the party. His economic policies are fairly summarised by the recent expatriation of Repsol. Unless the Argentine public wakes up, this country will face further decades of economic trauma and social unrest.

Votes (voters) "are manipulated". Of course, those that vote the way you wish are clever and educated, those that vote differently are ignorant, manipulated citizens.
People like you need a course in respect and good manners, no wonder your side never gets elected.

But must admit the goverment practices clientalism they buy votes and take popular measures with out tru diplomátical or economical reasoning behind it , i would never want to vote for a goverment , who sole purpose is to stay in power to cover up their fraud and filling their pockets with funds of the hard working argentinian tax payer . Capable argentinians wake up stand organize and take charge of your country